Bozeman City Commission — Black-Olive

Live updates from the Bozeman City Commission meeting on April 11, 2017, concerning the controversial Black-Olive development.

With a couple minutes to go before the opening gavel, the city commission chamber isn't quite as full as last week — but still doesn't have many empty chairs.

The city has a live stream video up here. I'll be focusing on catching the high points and adding context with updates on this page.

by Eric Dietrich4/12/2017 12:00:08 AM

by Eric Dietrich4/12/2017 12:12:38 AM

Sounds like this could go late this evening. "We're going to finish tonight," insists Mayor Carson Taylor — and city clerk who's taking minutes is drinking a Red Bull.

We're hearing largely familiar concerns from our first several commenters of the night, with many wishing the proposal was for a smaller building with more parking and less impact on neighbor's light.

“Five stories, right up to the property line does not fit in this area. It’s not Bozeman — it’s not who we are,” says one opponent.

A few supporters are pointing to the city's housing crunch, and arguing that the project meets the thrust of the city's development plans.

“I think every great building in the city was ahead of its time at some point,” says a supporter, local realtor Nolan Campbell, who also tells the commission he lives four doors down.

by Eric Dietrich4/12/2017 12:40:33 AM

We're also hearing from some opponents who are saying that some of the city's design standards applicable to the Black-Olive were amended with a less-than-transparent process in 2015. Those changes, they're claiming, were intended to benefit developers and left nearby homeowners out of the process.

Specifically, they're referencing this memo by then-planning director Wendy Thomas, which presented design guidelines for downtown-area commercial development but wrote that the process of drafting them "left insufficient time for added collaboration."

I haven't had a chance to check out those allegations in a rigorous way.

by Eric Dietrich4/12/2017 12:54:29 AM

Still going strong, with roughly 35 people addressing the commission so far this evening and another 10 lined up against the wall waiting their turn. A majority of folks saying they oppose the project.

by Eric Dietrich4/12/2017 1:36:06 AM

We just heard from an attorney, Chris Gray, saying he's representing a group of "affected and interested citizens."

He addresses commissioners on the design standards issue a few opponents have been raising, saying he's submitted a public records request for information on the noticing there and asking commissioners to delay in their decision so that can be addressed.

by Eric Dietrich4/12/2017 2:02:45 AM

by Eric Dietrich4/12/2017 2:08:04 AM

We've now heard from our last public commenter of the night, 2.5 hours in. Holloran and his design team now get a chance to rebut what opponents have said.

by Eric Dietrich4/12/2017 2:32:14 AM

Holloran opens by criticizing about the feedback he got from the city design review board, saying he got conflicting recommendations from its members (the board has criticized several of his projects, and panned Black-Olive specifically without mincing words).

“I think the process is subjective and hope that we, collectively as a community, can improve on that," he says.

by Eric Dietrich4/12/2017 2:38:51 AM

Holloran says a traffic study done for his project reported that downtown traffic has increased only by 1 percent (over a timeframe I didn't catch).

"One percent — and that's factual data," he says — as audience members chuckle in disbelief.

He also suggests parking isn't really an issue on downtown's south side.

“We haven’t seen any data that says there’s a parking shortage south of Main,” he says. “I think there’s a lot of speculation — and perhaps it’s a convenient issue as opposed to an actual parking problem.”

by Eric Dietrich4/12/2017 2:43:23 AM

by Eric Dietrich4/12/2017 2:46:51 AM

Commissioner I-Ho Pomeroy asks Holloran about his car-share plans.

“We’ve had great discussions with a number of car-share companies,” he says, saying his company plans to contract with a national provider.

He also says HomeBase is "prepared to underwrite" a for-profit provider, providing a subsidy to help lure them into Bozeman if necessary.

by Eric Dietrich4/12/2017 2:52:36 AM

Deputy Mayor Cyndy Andrus moves to approve the project. Commissioner I-Ho Pomeroy seconds. (Caveat: neither has said they'll vote in support of the motion)

Andrus thanks Holloran "for bringing us a project that really spurred community conversation."

“It’s not easy being Mr. Holloran tonight,” she says. “It gave us an additional opportunity to talk about the future of downtown.”

by Eric Dietrich4/12/2017 3:09:59 AM

Andrus says she isn't going to supporting her motion to approve the project, citing the building's five stories and compatibility with neighborhoods to the south.

“I do believe that we need density and infill around our downtown,” she says.

She adds: “I do think it is the wrong project in a place where we need the right project.”

by Eric Dietrich4/12/2017 3:21:05 AM

Pomeroy says she is going to vote for the project, however, citing the need to follow the commission's current development rules for the downtown B-3 zoning district and saying additional housing will help Bozeman address its tight housing market, helping affordability somewhat.

“Parking is the critical infrastructure for downtown vitality,” he says.

He adds: “When you look at the parking deficit, it feels like the site’s overbuilt.”

by Eric Dietrich4/12/2017 4:03:46 AM

For those keeping track, that's two nays and one aye. Both Mayor Carson Taylor and Commissioner Chris Mehl would need to support Black-Olive for it to win majority approval tonight.

Mehl is speaking now.

by Eric Dietrich4/12/2017 4:06:39 AM

(Apologies for the slow updates here — commissioners are taking the opportunity to lay out holistic theories of urban planning, only saying how they're going to the vote on Black-Olive after talking for 20-30 minutes.)

by Eric Dietrich4/12/2017 4:18:44 AM

Commissioner Mehl says he wants to try to add conditions about Black-Olive's parking before he'll decide whether to support.

He's talked at length about housing affordability, referencing the Obama Administration report I wrote about here:

Bozeman Daily ChronicleThe Obama administration, responding to what it calls a national housing affordability crisis, has issued a policy memo urging local governments to back off on development regulations like density limits

However, he says, "It is a parking-challenged proposal."

by Eric Dietrich4/12/2017 4:34:07 AM

Mayor Taylor cuts to the chase: "The parking plan is insufficient."

“And frankly," he adds, "I think there’re too many loose ends in it all the way around."

That's three votes against Black-Olive, unless Mehl is able to finagle some sort of condition on the project approval that gets three commissioners to "yes."

by Eric Dietrich4/12/2017 4:36:44 AM

by Eric Dietrich4/12/2017 4:49:51 AM

Taylor has more to add, saying density makes sense in downtown but that he's worried about Black-Olive's parking provision.

“I’m willing to say 20 years from now the parking situation might be totally different and this may but work fine," he says. "But how do we get there in way that maintains our community?”

He adds: “I think this building is not that far off from what would be acceptable in this space.”

Additionally, he extends the meeting to 11:30.

by Eric Dietrich4/12/2017 4:54:45 AM

Brief correction from earlier: I'd reported the city clerk was drinking a Red Bull. She tells me it was actually a sparkling water.

by Eric Dietrich4/12/2017 4:57:45 AM

Commissioners now discussing whether they can figure out a way to address their parking concerns and grant Black-Olive approval tonight (several are saying they're quite nearly on the fence with their vote).

Mehl is now making a non-controversial motion requiring the project to have a minimum of 32 bike storage spots.